He who would be king
by SeptimusMagistos
Summary: A somewhat introspective story expounding on Ozymandias's thoughts and aspirations. Takes place after the ending.


I do not own Watchmen, nor would I ever try to take them from DC Comics.

Weeks after his master stroke, Adrian Veidt was already changing the world. In one way it had been the culmination of his efforts, but in another way it was only the beginning. Left to itself, the sentiment for peace could only last for so long. Eventually the fear of the monstrous aliens would wear off and old enmities might rekindle. But luckily, Veidt was prepared. Within hours of the disaster he had activated his network of paid-off politicians, media directors, business partners, and other influential people on both sides. The exploration of the monster found that it was practically invulnerable to radiation, which meant that the world's two greatest nations' nuclear stockpiles were nigh-useless against it. And so already the plans to retire them were starting, even as massive contracts for development of something new were pouring into Adrian's companies. Newspapers and televisions the world over were preaching the message of world peace and unity and people who two months ago thought nuclear holocaust was inevitable were opening their eyes to the possibility of not only a surviving world, but also a better one.

Not to say there weren't dissenters. The Cold War had been going on too long to be forgotten that easily. People everywhere were still distrustful. Some even said they should strike while the other side was relaxed. They were treated as madmen and often locked up. Conspiracy theories reared up as soon as initial shock wore off. Adrian's heart gave a skip when he first heard of a theory implicating him. But it turned out to be utterly harmless. Evidently someone uncovered Rorschach's journal accusing him of trying to start World War Three. But of course the idea was patently absurd. Everyone agreed that if Adrian Veidt wanted to start World War Three, the world would have been doomed. But that wasn't the case, was it? So he couldn't possibly have done any of it. It helped that he already controlled anyone who might have wanted to make an investigation. So the theories opposing the official story would quietly take their place beside the 'fact' that fluoridation of drinking water was a communist plot.

No, the contrary elements couldn't hold the advance of his utopia back. The future of the world was his alone to lose. And he didn't intend to. He would share with everyone his hope for a brighter future, his faith in mankind's ability to improve itself beyond belief. The world would become a place beyond anyone's imaginings. He owed that much to his victims.

Oh, yes, about those he killed. He didn't do it callously. He never pretended they didn't matter. What he did would be a burden on him forever. It was not just that he felt guilty, but rather that there were several million ghosts looking over his shoulder every moment, judging his actions. He had a responsibility to make sure that his work would turn out as good as he could possibly make it. Otherwise it would all have been for nothing.

Not that there was a chance of that. Because as Ozymandias he was all too aware of the significance of his name. Oh, yes, he knew about the poem. Unlike most people, he knew about the other one too. He had both committed to memory. It reminded him of the failings of his idol, Alexander. Oh, yes, there were many people throughout history who built a magnificent empire only to have it collapse into dust soon afterwards. Some, like Napoleon, overreached themselves. Others, like Alexander, simply died without securing the foundations of what they built.

But there were others too. Men who combined their victories with a firm grasp of politics and rulership and ensured the persistence of their creation. After wresting the control of the Roman Republic from his competitors, Octavian Augustus turned it into an empire that endured for five hundred years (and a lot longer if you cared to count Byzantine). Genghis Khan united the warring Mongol tribes and built the largest continuous empire in history. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt, to whom Adrian looked for guidance, had managed to create a civilization that lasted for three millennia. Though even all those world orders fell in time, they changed the world enough that no one could ever forget them. No one would ever say they didn't matter. The influence they still exerted on the present meant they might as well exist today. This was the sort of planning Adrian was looking at. He would forge a peace that would outlive him. And if one day the world forgot his name, at least there would be a world still around to forget it. And if he had anything to do with it, everyone would remember him for a long time.


End file.
